The theater is the first phase in a series of new arts venues planned by u. How theaster gates is revitalizing chicagos south side, one vacant building at a time the artists creative approach to bringing new life to a crumbling neighborhood offers hope for america. Chicagobased artist theaster gates has developed a body of work that includes space development, objectmaking, performance, and critical engagement with. Chicago artist theaster gates black image corporation installation will open as part of prada mode during frieze week on 23 october.
If you have never heard of theaster gates, you are about to experience the world of social justice with new eyes. If we invest in and mobilize networks of artists, creative entrepreneurs, and scholars in neighborhoods where rebuild operates. Gates transforms spaces, institutions, traditions, and perceptions. He first encountered creativity in the music of black churches on his journey to becoming an urban planner, potter, and artist. Theaster gates american community activist and artist. Designed by william gibbons uffendell and built in 1923, the bank at 68th street and stony island avenue was once a vibrant community savings and loan. Reclaimed from its original identity as an actual currency exchange by artist theaster gates, the cafe is positioned between its sister artbook store, bing, and the university of chicago arts. Documented in this attractively designed slipcased volume, theaster gates latest work explores his commitment to chicago and the work of w.
Gates works as an artist, curator, urbanist and facilitator and his projects attempt to instigate the creation of cultural communities by acting as catalysts. Theaster gates chicagoan theaster gates is a multidisciplinary artist whose works include pottery, performance, installation art and sculpture. The series of public meetings, true value in conversation, will open with a gathering between theaster gates, the exhibition curator elvira dyangani ose and special guest thelma golden, the director and chief curator of the studio museum in harlem, new york, that will take place at fondazione pradas cinema on thursday, july 7 at 6pm. If we reactivate underutilized and abandoned buildings in underinvested communities. Theaster gates is a chicagobased artist whose practice includes sculpture, installation, performance and urban interventions that aim to bridge. The transformation of everyday and urban detritus is one of chicagobased artist theaster gates born 1973 fundamental artistic strategies. Gates work has been shown at major museums and galleries internationally and deals with issues of urban. Featuring the vinyl factory radio and a programme of talks, screenings, and live performances. Theaster gates creates sculptures with clay, tar, and renovated buildings, transforming the raw material of urban neighborhoods into radically reimagined vessels of opportunity for the community. Theaster gates converting bing into bar from bookstore in.
At the openingnight lecture, gates spoke pointedly about todds. Lamar moore takes the kitchen at the currency exchange cafe. Theaster gates brings black image corporation to the store. Dec 01, 2015 an open bookstore theaster gates seeks to bring rare art books to the masses published on december 1, 2015. In addition to serving as source material for the artist, the collections provide gates with insight into how one person or institution sees the. Chicagobased artist theaster gates acquired 14,000 volumes from prairie avenues owners in the fall of 2009, a couple months after the store. Six blocks from where i grew up, on chicagos south side, the artist theaster gates showed me a neoclassical ruin, a prohibitionera bank shuttered for 33 years that i only ever registered. Theaster gates phaidon contemporary artist series becker, carol. Gates is working within the community of southside of. I n midmarch, the new york times published a warm profile of theaster gatess new exhibition at the national gallery of art in washington, d. Theaster gates dorchester projects attracts a wide range of audiences. What cannot be denied is the overpowering odor of tar that now fills the main gallery.
It is an approach that the works in this volume, some of which have been especially created for kunsthaus bregenz, encompassing sculptures and what are often largescale installations, also adhere to. Gates had read about him in a book by leonard todd, a descendant of the south carolina plantation family that had owned dave. Jul 14, 2016 theaster gates was already thinking about hardware stores before he walked into kens shop on the corner of 93rd and halsted in the south side of chicago. Rebuild believes that art and artists can be powerful agents for neighborhood transformation. Freedom of assembly is at white cube bermondsey, london se1, until 5 july. Beginning with interventions in smallscale residences now known as dorchester projects, gates houses in greater grand crossing in chicago have become a nexus for globally engaged experiments in structures of individual and collective living, working and artmaking. Vitamin c clay and ceramic in contemporary art babooka. Theaster gates on the nuts and bolts of life all 30,000 of. Gates raised funding for the project by selling marble blocks as pieces of art and hosting a gala at the bank. He was born in chicago, illinois, where he still lives and works. Theaster gates is helping to define the future of artistic placebased efforts, in research and practice. Theaster gates born august 28, 1973 is an american social practice installation artist and a professor in the department of visual arts at the university of chicago. Jun 09, 2017 theaster gates creates sculptures with clay, tar, and renovated buildings, transforming the raw material of urban neighborhoods into radically reimagined vessels of opportunity for the community.
Gates creates sculptures with clay, tar, and renovated buildings, transforming the raw material of urban neighborhoods into radically reimagined vessels of opportunity for. Jun 12, 2015 theaster gates, diagonal bitumen 2014, wood, rubber and tar. A clothbound compendium of theaster gates interdisciplinary exploration of artistic and religious representations of the black madonnasfor his kuntsmuseum basel exhibition, chicagobased multiartist theaster gates born 1973 interrogates the mainstream art worlds eurocentrism through a multivenue, multimedia exploration of the figure of the black madonna. Theaster gates was already thinking about hardware stores before he walked into kens shop on the corner of 93rd and halsted in the south side. I believe theaster gates dorchester projects emulates the notion of performance of possibilities.
Books by volumes books by covers books by spines collection of all books out of print books special titles authors list all collaboration texts. Theaster gates is one of the hottest names in the national fine arts scene and is a faculty member of the university of chicago. Theaster gates is a revolutionary artist, activist and cultural worker. How theaster gates is revitalizing chicagos south side, one.
Since his inclusion in the 2010 whitney biennialwhose sculpture court he transformed into an installation that served as a communal gathering space for performances, social engagement, and meditationgates has become a near ubiquitous presence in museum. Chicagos prairie avenue bookshop was one of the greatest architectural book stores in the world, right up until its closure in the summer of 2009. The first monograph of chicagobased theaster gates, one of the most exciting and highly regarded contemporary artists at work today. These books will revolutionize the way contemporary art is presented and written about. The creator and director of the rebuild foundation, his work combines urban planning and cultural programming to revitalize poor neighborhoods. Landart surveys theaster gates multinodal practice that spans the seemingly divergent worlds of ethical redevelopment and art making. Theaster gates, a chicago artist known for his engagement with urban issues, is coming to waterville, me. Why theaster gates is chicagos greatest contemporary artist. Theaster gates artist bio and art for sale artspace.
Claiming, i think im a fulltime artist, a fulltime urban planner, and a fulltime preacher with an aspiration of no longer needing any of those titles, theaster gates makes work focused on racism and poverty in america, and works to make change in downtrodden communities across the country. The building was transformed by the rebuild foundation and designer william gibbens uffendell. The quintessential quintuplets 2 paperback or softback. Theaster gates meditates on construction in a white cube. His attempts to bridge the gap between art and life have lead to a body of work which initiates and encourages social interaction, creating vibrant urban spaces which act as grounds of social and political change. Presenting a new chapter of the project, gates will connect the south side of chicago with londons vibrant creative community. Theaster gates portfolio of brenda christian brown. Premiere theaster gates is preserving black spaces by buying. Unable to find a buyer for the business its owners passed the shops 1400 books on to another chicago citizen with a keen interest in art. Jul 28, 2015 theaster gates dorchester projects attracts a wide range of audiences. An open bookstore theaster gates seeks to bring rare art books to the masses published on december 1, 2015. Informed by his training as an urban planner and sculptor, theaster gates produces works which develop urban spaces through performance art and the critical engagement of the public. From his chicago studio, theaster gates reflects on the various collections he has acquired and created artworks with, including the jet magazine archives and the inventory of an entire hardware store.
How theaster gates is using art to redefine social activism. Gates holds a chair at the department of visual arts at chicago university where he supervises the arts and public life program. The stony island arts bank is a hybrid gallery, media archive, library and community center and a home for rebuilds archives and collections. Theaster gates joins colby colleges lunder institute for.
Theaster gates, dorchester projects art in the public sphere. Dec 22, 20 six blocks from where i grew up, on chicagos south side, the artist theaster gates showed me a neoclassical ruin, a prohibitionera bank shuttered for 33 years that i only ever registered. Theaster gates is an artist whose practice includes sculpture, installation, performance, architecture and urban interventions designed to bridge the gap between art and life. Carol becker is dean of faculty and professor of the arts at columbia university school of the arts. Apr 01, 2020 a clothbound compendium of theaster gates interdisciplinary exploration of artistic and religious representations of the black madonnasfor his kuntsmuseum basel exhibition, chicagobased multiartist theaster gates born 1973 interrogates the mainstream art worlds eurocentrism through a multivenue, multimedia exploration of the figure of the black madonna. As elvira dyangani ose says, if there is a particular ethos that has characterized theaster gatess work in recent years, it is the formulation of the unimaginable as a common cause. The bookstore has now moved to the stony island arts bank, 6760 s. Hes also dedicated to preserving black history on the south side, including using arts and history as the seed for urban renewal. Unable to find a buyer for the business its owners passed the shops 1400 books on to another chicago citizen with a keen interest in. Theaster gates brings black image corporation to the store x.
Or, as gates writes in the opening of the book, how urban transformation happens through culture. Theaster gates chicago, 1973, where he lives and works has developed an expanded artistic practice that includes space development, object making, performance and critical engagement with many publics. His practice, deeply rooted in africanamerican histories and culture, revolves around the transformation of objects, buildings and communities by catalyzing development through art and. Theaster gates has developed an expanded artistic practice that includes space development, object making, performance and critical engagement with many publics. Gates, whose practice includes performance, installation, and urban interventions, created. Theaster gates, diagonal bitumen 2014, wood, rubber and tar. Look at theaster gates incredible record and book collections art. Creative direction by theaster gates design by jnl, chicago published by the store x and kunstmuseum. Reclaimed from its original identity as an actual currency exchange by artist theaster gates, the cafe is positioned between its sister art book store, bing, and the university of chicago arts. New 300 page, hardback book by theaster gates published in tandem with his black madonna exhibition at the kunstmuseum, basel iconic images courtesy of the johnson publishing library creative direction by theaster gates design by jnl, chicago published by the store x and kunstmuseum in his exhibition at the kunstmuseum. This new 300 page, hardback book by theaster gates was published by the store x and kunstmuseum in tandem with his black madonna exhibition at the.
I like to work very hard, theaster gates remarks in the following conversation, which just might be the understatement of the year. Theaster gates chicago, 1973, where he lives and works has developed an expanded artistic practice that includes space development. Gates grew up in a workingclass family on chicagos west side. Sep 18, 2015 buy theaster gates phaidon contemporary artists series 01 by becker, carol, borchardthume, achim, lee, lisa isbn. Theaster gates phaidon contemporary artists series. Apr 04, 2018 theaster gates, a chicago artist known for his engagement with urban issues, is coming to waterville, me. Theaster gates planning dj booth, fire hose artwork for 95th st.
Du boisin every square needs a circle, theaster gates born 1973 offers a rumination on black economies and empire building, relating to moments from art history and stories of quotidian labor. In a city full of artists of a variety of different artistic practices, gates rises above the rest to create multidisciplinary works that speak to the spirit, anxieties. Theaster gates practice includes sculpture, installation, performance and urban interventions that aim to bridge the gap between art and life. Theaster gates and the preservation of black history in. Unable to find a buyer for the business its owners passed the shops 1400 books on to another chicago citizen with a keen interest in art, architecture and heritage, theaster gates.
Buy theaster gates phaidon contemporary artists series 01 by becker, carol, borchardthume, achim, lee, lisa isbn. He is renowned internationally for his interdisciplinary blend of social practice, performance, institutionbuilding, painting, and sculpting. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Despite being on chicagos south side of town, the dorchester projects invites a diverse demographic of people. His attempts to bridge the gap between art and life have lead to a body of work which initiates and encourages social interaction, creating vibrant urban spaces. May 23, 2017 i n midmarch, the new york times published a warm profile of theaster gatess new exhibition at the national gallery of art in washington, d.
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